Good grief this is hard

[chicagobrasil]

I've had the game for a few months now and have played probably 20battles. I just cant get the hang of it...and I have played CM games before...just FYI.

I've read forums and watched Youtube "tutorials" but still just get creamed. Talking me vs computer here at VEt level. Mainly play US to try and learn.

I send out infantry...upon engaging they usually cower...so I try to send up spotter to bring in arty. Oftentimes HE gets killed but even if he doesnt...the effect of mortars seems negligible. I bring up tank...it gets killed by AT.

I dont know...perhaps I am just too much in a hurry. But game is rapidly losing favor with me as the tactics I have been told dont seem to work in the game for me. Sigh! About to hang it up. Can someone save me?! lol

[xian]

Now, here's an interesting point: I do better at CMBN than the previous CMx1 incarnation. By nature I am a cautious player, and this seems to pay off in CMBN. Even a single casualty grinds with me.

My best advice is: Scout, scout and scout again!

[theFightingSeabee]

First, just remember that WW2 was full of death and destruction. There will be no easy way to win.

Try to stay coordinated in your tactics. So move up with units that will support each other. Also, you may want to attack one objective at a time, trying to pop through at one point in the defensive line and injecting your forces; be creative. Also, USE SMOKE! It can be the difference between winning and losing.

I hope that helps a little bit.

[Nik_B]

You need to use over whelming fire power to suppress then break enemy concentrations. I find this can take several turns so don't just fire off a few rounds and then charge in. My philosophy is to keep their their heads down first and wait until I think I've caused casualties which I imagine will damage their moral. Then advance on to said position under suppressing fire.

It sounds like you are attacking a position that has interlocking fields of fire, maybe probe out positions that are weaker? Or as someone said above focus on positions that are the most vulnerable and smash them.

Any time I get my backside handed to me is often due to rushing forward and not suppressing the enemy sufficiently. Annoyingly when playing PBEM taking your time can also be disastrous as it gives your opponent plenty of time to see what you have and redeploy his forces.

As in the real world you need to find a balance between speed and caution after carefully reconnoitre. The hide command is a nightmare against players as they often cannot be spotted until your scouts are on top of the enemy and then they might even get killed before you see anything. In those unpleasant situations I prescribe a heavy dose of pre planned artillery and/or mortars on likely positions and hedge rows.

[noxnoctum]

I think it's a mental thing tbh. You appear to be taking more casualties in CMBN because of the 1-1, whereas in CMx1 a unit down to 3 guys from 9 still looked the same as a full squad.

[Doug Williams]

Sounds like you might be rushing things. Many of my losses are due to my lack of patience. This isn't Starcraft. Move slowly. Utilize scouts/recon. Don't rush your tanks ahead of your infantry.

Sometimes, however, you can do everything correctly and still lose. That's war.

[permanent666]

did you watch the wargamer videos - they are an eye-opener

here

[noxnoctum]

Don't be afraid to take casualties either. Just be sure you're pouring more fire on them than they are on you. When on the attack my main goals are to:

1) Find the weak spot, from there I'll roll up the entire defense from behind.

2) Concentrate the vast majority of my strength and firepower on the weak spot

You're going to take casualties, that's inevitable, just be sure that once you make contact you can bring massive firepower to bear and gain fire superiority. Doesn't matter if the first squad to engage the enemy get chopped up badly if you've got a whole platoon firing on an enemy defensive position.

A good example of this is one mission where I KNEW that the enemy probably had an AT gun covering that avenue of approach (the only viable avenue of approach on that particular map). However I was unable to scout it out with infantry (due to loads of MGs hidden all over), and the area was too big for blind area fire to be useful. So I just moved up ALL of my armor at the same time into the same small area. I ended losing two tanks, but the remaining ones finished off the detected enemy AT strongpoint in short order and I crushed the remaining infantry forces with ease. Firepower superiority .

Of course if the situation permits, I try to only expose a scout unit, blast the enemy with artillery, and THEN move up. This is not always possible though, as with the previous example.

[Agua]

Yeah, for about the 4th time in this thread, try to slow down. Try recon by fire with area fire before rushing up to what you believe to be cover.

[thejetset]

Now, here's an interesting point: I do better at CMBN than the previous CMx1 incarnation. By nature I am a cautious player, and this seems to pay off in CMBN. Even a single casualty grinds with me.

My best advice is: Scout, scout and scout again!

What xian said. And also make sure that each foot you put forward is supported by a base of fire behind it.

You send your scout forward. He starts taking fire, and you have about 20 guys and a mortar in cover behind your scouts that open God's wrath upon the unlucky souls that decided to open up on those scouts. Your scouts in theory survive because the enemy is suppressed. .... while suppressed, move guys forward or flank to clear their positions.

Once fully clear, move forward and repeat.

That is the basic move .. and there are many variations on it .... but that is the "core" to advancing.

[BadgerDog]

Hmmm ...

I just play Panzerlied and turn the speakers way up loud, then charge my tanks in "line abreast" against everything in site.

I've wondered why I've been taking a beating for years ...

Regards,

Doug

[Sergei]

Movement to contact with the enemy is always the hardest part, you don't want to stumble upon them with your main force as shifting the point of concentration is difficult once you are fully engaged. I always try to move a scout team in front of each infantry platoon leading the way. When crossing open fields, giving light area targets to the rest of the platoon helps to suppress possible snipers.

Once you have at least a rough idea of the enemy dispositions it becomes easier to make an effective plan of attack.

[LUCASWILLEN05]

The US army found it hard to crack the Bocage. Don't rush ahead with your tanks. Use them to provide support to the infantry. When you have Rhino equipment use it to breach the hedgerow. Use artillery (including mortars0 and air support. Use fire and manouvve tactics at all levels. Use smoke. Don't rush and be patient.

British forces may well be operating in open country/ It is good tank country but also good anti tank country and one suspects this benefits the Germans who might often use buildings (farms/villages/towns) woods and hills around which to plave defensive strongpoints. Using several anti tank guns in a strongpoint with infantry support setting up an interlocking defensive line of these and backing this up with mobile forces could be a tough nut to crack. Against this strong combined arms forces backed with air and artillery are required.

[Rocky Balboa]

Haven't read all the suggestions here but I'm sure they are all great ... I thought I would add a few of my own observations.

Watch your C2 (Command & Control) status on your units. When you first make contact and start to developed the situation, split your squads into teams and keep them dispersed so that one mortar round doesn't wipe out the whole lot. When you split squads remember to watch your C2!

Always have plenty of fire support before you move this means tanks, MG's and on board mortars. If you don't know exactly where the enemy is located then area fire at suspected locations.

When you pinpoint a known location then bring as much fire to bear as possible and try to flank the position instead of charging head on.

[Moon]

If you think you are taking things slow already, but keep losing men (especially during first contact), then you are still WAY too fast. Here's a piece of advice: do everything as you do it already, but simply have all your units pause every second turn (or every 60 seconds real-time if you are playing RT). You will be surprised how much more battlefield intel you'll get (especially early on before the first contact) when you pause for a moment from time to time.

Imagine real soldiers in the real world running around without pause like many of our virtual soldiers are forced to do (simply because we can)! That's not going to work well in real-life, and it puts you at a distinctive disadvantage in the game, too.

Martin

[gunnersman]

What Moon said! It took me years to figure that out. There is no hurry. There is plenty of time. Just do a good recon before you start the scenario. Imagine what you might do if you were the opposing force (of course that comes with experience too). :cool:

[Zane]

Yes, If you want to read about what combat was like in WW2

Read Stephen E Ambrose Band of Brothers. I have the complet VCR tape set.

but the book goes into more detail. Real combat is not fun and games.

Zane.

[black_prince]

As the cliche goes, time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted. The bocage actually makes scouting ahead easier than it might otherwise be. If you don't have dedicated reconaisance assets in a scenario you can break off two man scout teams from your infantry squad. When scouting, make sure you are using the appropriate movement commands and a short target arc to stop your guys from becoming involved in a firefight with the first enemy they see. Once your scout team have los on suspected enemy positions, leave them in place for a few minutes-the longer they are allowed to sit and observe, the more they will see. It's usually a good idea not to let your scouts get too far ahead of your main force in case they're spotted and need back up.

If your scouts are fired upon, think about the best course of action. You don't necessarily want to commit your main force in response. Consider wether or not you have identified all of the enemy positions in the area. It may be possible to extract them by having them slow crawl to somewhere safer or by using smoke or both. If you don't feel that you have enough info on the enemy yet, you can always try moving your scouts into another position to observe.

In most scenarios, there are not enough defenders to cover every possible avenue of approach. If possible, use your scouts to move accross the enemies front once you have located it until you find their flank. Then park some serious firepower there. Oh, and defences are usually sited in depth, i.e. there will probably be another position to the rear of the first line to contain any breakthoughs. This might take the form of a MG on the top floor of a building to the rear or a second defensive line in the next hedgerow. Keep that in mind.

If you find that your units are being mauled and are in a bad position, it may be a better idea to try and extract them and attack another point in the enemies defences. Rushing more units to the area may just increase your casualties.

Once your attack begins, be sure to concentrate overwhelming firepower on the enemy. Never give the enemy a fair fight When establishing your base of fire, you should balance dispersal of your forces to reduce casualties with having as many units as possible in a position to fire on the enemy forces that you are engaging. In order to achieve this you should check LOS by getting down to level 1 and having a look and/or using the target tool. Ideally, you should have concentrated enough firepower to be able to rapidly suppress the enemy and eliminate the position quickly. Once your attack begins, try not to occuppy one position for too long if it can be avoided to reduce the likelihood of being hit by indirect fire. Klotzen, nicht kleckern!

If using tanks in close country in conjuction with infantry, use your infantry to engage the enemy to suppress or at least distract any enemy equipped with anti-tank weapons. Your tanks can then be moved into position to end the firefight quickly and decisively.

When using artillery or mortars, always try to use the most skilled spotter available.

Finally, try to get a feel for the capabilites of your weapons and units. This help you allocate sufficient resources on the battlefield.

[slysniper]

WHEN I HEAR THE WORD SLOW, IT DRIVES ME CRAZY.

Yes, to most of what has been said before, but it does not need to be slow.

You move a 2-3 man scouting team out on quick unless you expect contact, then it is on hunt, if you want to spend the time. then with the rest of the units you have them in overwatch, once the scouts verifies the next objective is clear. As quick as possible move your units up to take that point. Then start the process over. Speed is good, it does not give the defender time to adjust. But you need to do it at a low risk. When done correctly, you are only risking your scouts.

Make sure to send enough scouts to verify all ambush locations. Because you might find a good player that might have the brains to let the scouts go unmolested and wait for the main force, But most of the time, even real players do not do that.

It cracks me up how slow some are playing, not only does it give me time to understand what forces I am up against and where they are headed. But I have plenty of time to move up reserves set ambush points, harass the enemy, then pull back the front line troops to the new reinforced defensive line and then lay some heavy fire power on the fools that are afraid to push their attacks. Speed is still very important, one needs to learn how to do it safely or at least at a risk they can afford and still win.

[Moon]

slysniper, for new players, playing slow and taking their time is the best course of action to learn how to approach recon and avoid high first contact casualties. Once you are able to do it slow, you can then learn and master how to do it faster (or how to vary your approach depending on sitution etc.) But that's definitely an advanced tactic that I wouldn't recommend to new players.

[Moon]

black_prince, what you describe could be taken right out of a WW2 (or even modern) field manual. Which is good, because that's exactly how CM:BN should be played.

[shameless plug]Oh, and did I mention that we sell contemporary WWII manuals in the Battlefront Bookshelf? [/shameless plug]

[Frankster65]

As the cliche goes, time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted. The bocage actually makes scouting ahead easier than it might otherwise be. If you don't have dedicated reconaisance assets in a scenario you can break off two man scout teams from your infantry squad. When scouting, make sure you are using the appropriate movement commands and a short target arc to stop your guys from becoming involved in a firefight with the first enemy they see. Once your scout team have los on suspected enemy positions, leave them in place for a few minutes-the longer they are allowed to sit and observe, the more they will see. It's usually a good idea not to let your scouts get too far ahead of your main force in case they're spotted and need back up.

If your scouts are fired upon, think about the best course of action. You don't necessarily want to commit your main force in response. Consider wether or not you have identified all of the enemy positions in the area. It may be possible to extract them by having them slow crawl to somewhere safer or by using smoke or both. If you don't feel that you have enough info on the enemy yet, you can always try moving your scouts into another position to observe.

In most scenarios, there are not enough defenders to cover every possible avenue of approach. If possible, use your scouts to move accross the enemies front once you have located it until you find their flank. Then park some serious firepower there. Oh, and defences are usually sited in depth, i.e. there will probably be another position to the rear of the first line to contain any breakthoughs. This might take the form of a MG on the top floor of a building to the rear or a second defensive line in the next hedgerow. Keep that in mind.

If you find that your units are being mauled and are in a bad position, it may be a better idea to try and extract them and attack another point in the enemies defences. Rushing more units to the area may just increase your casualties.

Once your attack begins, be sure to concentrate overwhelming firepower on the enemy. Never give the enemy a fair fight When establishing your base of fire, you should balance dispersal of your forces to reduce casualties with having as many units as possible in a position to fire on the enemy forces that you are engaging. In order to achieve this you should check LOS by getting down to level 1 and having a look and/or using the target tool. Ideally, you should have concentrated enough firepower to be able to rapidly suppress the enemy and eliminate the position quickly. Once your attack begins, try not to occuppy one position for too long if it can be avoided to reduce the likelihood of being hit by indirect fire. Klotzen, nicht kleckern!

If using tanks in close country in conjuction with infantry, use your infantry to engage the enemy to suppress or at least distract any enemy equipped with anti-tank weapons. Your tanks can then be moved into position to end the firefight quickly and decisively.

When using artillery or mortars, always try to use the most skilled spotter available.

Finally, try to get a feel for the capabilites of your weapons and units. This help you allocate sufficient resources on the battlefield.

First, very well said. Right out of a tactical field manual. Second, I never want to play you in a PBEM.

[black_prince]

I'm stronger on theory than practice. Anyway, I've given away all my secrets

[JonS]

Try and maintain a fresh and uncomitted reserve, until the last third or quarter of the game. Try and make the reserve as large as practical, and include some indirect firesupport. You don't have to reserve an entire artillery module, but if you get one with, say, 100 rounds, reserve 20-30 of those for use late in the game.

Forces in CM tend to become quite brittle quite quickly, so try and use that to your advantage. Pick the platoons or companys that are going to lead your advance, and which are going to be the reserve. Tuck the reserve away somewhere safe, and gradulally move them up behind the front line (if you're advancing), but keep them out of sight - even strays, overs, and long range harrassing fire will affect their morale.

With the forces you've chosen to lead your attack (or defence), be ruthless. Keep mashing them into the fire (using all the points raised in previous points), even when they become Rattled and eventually Broken. As long as they've got decent support they'll continue to make some ground, and they'll be wearing the enemy down, impacting his morale, and soaking up his ammo. But make no mistake - even with excellent tactics these lead guys are going to suffer.

Then, when the time is right - about 25-30% of the turns left - unleash your reserve in the time and place of your chosing. Because these guys are fresh, rested, and in a good morale state they should be able to roll up forces numerically stronger than themselves. They won't be invincible - you'll still need to use sound tactics (including using the reserve of indirect rounds) - but their state will give you an distinct advantage, especially since it'll be coming at a time when your opponent won't be expecting you to have any decent forces left.

There's no fixed rule for the reserve, but try for about one third. So if you only have a platoon, keep a section out of the fight. If you have a battalion, keep a company out, along with some mortar and artillery rounds, and maybe some heavy weapons (or at least their ammo).

Creating and maintaining a reserve takes quite a bit of self discipline. You'll regularly come across situations where you'll think "I just don't have enough forces to create a reserve!" or "oh, if I commit the reserve now I'll be able to take that house!" Resist the urge, and reap the bigger benefits later.

Jon

[LUCASWILLEN05]

Hmmm ...

I just play Panzerlied and turn the speakers way up loud, then charge my tanks in "line abreast" against everything in site.

I've wondered why I've been taking a beating for years ...

Regards,

Doug

This only works if you are commanding Waffen SS, particularly those fanatics in Hitler Jugund and Liebstandat=rte